Every year, from December to April, the sweeps across Africa. This cool, dry and dust-laden wind gets its name from haramata, a word in the Ghanaian language Fanti.
The wind originates from high-pressure systems over the Sahara, south of Algeria and Libya and north of Mauritania, Mali, Niger and Chad. It significantly alters the climatic and environmental conditions of the region it crosses.
The Harmattan’s effects go beyond reduced visibility and dryness. It has an impact on , and .
Our research explores and their impacts on various sectors in west Africa, including . In this article, we explain what the Harmattan is, its causes, when and how it occurs and its impact on public health in affected regions.
The origins of the Harmattan
During the (October to March), large-scale components of atmospheric circulation…